Most successful coach in Johnson Central history died, peacefully, from COVID-19 complications
Jim Matney grew up in a community called “Hager Hill” or Hagerhill, Kentucky. Some believe the community of under 2,000 residents was named for local farmer and minister, Daniel Mart Hager. Others believe it was named for the hilltop home of Sam Hager. We know the area in Johnson County, Kentucky as the childhood home of KHSAA, Dawahares Hall of Fame high school football coach, Jim Matney. Matney will aways be remembered for his tenure at Johnson Central where he led the Eagles to five (5) straight title appearances and titles in 2016 and 2019. Matney was described as having a deep love for the mountains and he taught mountain football players they could do anything, anyone else could. You can’t write a series of stories about the best the KHSAA has ever produced without a tribute, and tip of the hat, to the Pride of Hagerhill.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
Hagerhill, KY: You wouldn’t believe the number of famous people from the Appalachia mountains in Kentucky. The area’s contributions to country and bluegrass music, alone, might shock you.
The Johnson County area is no different. There are quite a few famous people from Johnson and surrounding counties.
The “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” also known as the “Queen of Country Music;” Loretta Lynn, is from “Butcher Holler.” Butcher Holler is just on the outskirts of Paintsville.
Chris Stapleton, highly acclaimed country and bluegrass singer/songwriter, was born in Staffordsville. Stapleton attended Johnson Central where he played ILB. Stapleton was a captain of the defense and a fine football player in addition to his ability to sing, which may be unparalleled in the history of the country genre.
Tyler Childers is a popular country music artist from Lawrence County. Lawrence neighbors Johnson county.
Patty Loveless, a country music singer, is from Pike County. These are just a few examples which fall well short of exhausting this particular list of mountain notables.
Hagerhill doesn’t claim many celebrities. The most famous person from Hagerhill, aside from Hall of Fame high school (and wrestling) football coach Jim Matney, was a dancer and co-founder of the New York School of Ballet named Richard Scott Thomas.
We don’t know whether or not Thomas played football. We can easily say he had the “feet” to be a fine player, had he ever wanted to try.
To us, Jim Matney fits the bill as the most famous celebrity to ever come from Hagerhill (or Hager Hill), Kentucky. As far as celebrity status, Matney won over 300-games (309-133) and took his team to the title game five (5) straight years. That is why we call him “The Pride of Haggerhill.”
Matney won two (2) football titles in 2016 & 2019. Matney won multiple wrestling team titles and steered wrestlers to individual titles to go along with his football accomplishments. Matney was very accomplished, as an athlete and coach, in both wrestling and football.
Matney was the 2020, Kentucky Football Coach of the Year. Matney won 12-straight regional titles in wrestling. Matney was the 2020 NFHS High School Wrestling Coach of the Year.
Matney was inducted into the Johnson Central Hall of Fame (2015), the KWCA Hall of Fame (2017), and the KHSAA Dawahares Hall of Fame (2022). We would call that a high school Triple Crown.
To KPGFootball, that is right famous. The school system’s superintendent appeared to agree heartily.
“[Matney] was by far the most successful coach of anybody in Johnson Central history. I would put him up against anyone in the state if I were coaching a ball game and my life depended on it. [If that were the case,] I would want Coach Matney by my side,” Thom Cochran, Superintendent, Johnson County Schools.
Matney taught mountain kids they could do anything, anyone else could do. Matney loved the mountains, and felt called to coach in the area.
Matney graduated from Belfry High in 1977. Matney was a three sport varsity star (football, wrestling, and baseball). Matney wrestled in college at Liberty University and graduated in 1982 with a degree in history.
Matney graduated from Belfry in 1977 a three (3) sport star (football, wrestling, and baseball), Liberty University in 1982 where he wrestled
Friday Night Fletch
Phillip Haywood didn’t get to Belfry, from Prestonsburg, until 1984. After college, Matney came back and served on the staff at Belfry for a time before getting hired, in 1983, to head up the football and wrestling programs at Sheldon Clark High.
Matney won a pair of wrestling titles in 1994 and 1995. Matney coached 17 individual wrestlers to 17 individual titles while at the Martin County high school.
Matney and Haywood knew and appreciated each other immensely as rivals. Matney and Haywood, as professional colleagues, just kept missing the other.
Matney took the job at Johnson Central in 2004. Matney would take the football Eagles to five (5) straight championship games, winning titles in 2016, 2019. Matney’s wresting teams would win dual meet titles at Johnson Central in 2019, 2021 and boast 10 individual state champions.
I have a favorite Jim Matney story as you may have guessed. It stems from my short tenure as the Managing Editor of an Appalachia weekly newspaper, “The Jackson Times-Voice.”
There were certain names across the Appalachia mountains which were household names. Phillip Haywood, Mike Holcomb, Dudley Hilton, Larry French, Mark Dixon, Chris MacNamee, Hillard Howard, Tom Larky, Ed Miracle, and the list continues as all of these guys were talked about, ad infinitum, across the region.
“Jim Matney” was as big (and talked about as frequently) as any of the aforementioned names persistently uttered around the region. Johnson County’s middle school had come over to play Breathitt Middle School on the Riverbank at the Mike Holcomb Athletic Complex.
I was leaning against a fence, standing next to my son (William Long), who had made a name for himself, in the mountains, as an All-State football player and powerlifting champion. We were watching the action when a little guy, couldn’t have been taller than 5’3″ or 5’4,” walked over and leaned against the same fence as we, right next to me. I towered over him, height-wise.
He looked at William and me and said, “How are the Long boys doing this evening? How are you doing, William? You’re having a wonderful season, young man, I am very proud of you!”
William said, “Thank you, sir.” William was a bit hesitant, like he didn’t know who this guy was.
This guy and I talked along the fence a half hour or so about a variety of things related to KHSAA football. He then said, “Well, carry on men,” as he trotted across the field toward the opposing sideline.
As he got well enough away to not hear us, William asked, “Dad, who was that guy?”
I answered, “William, that guy, as you refer to him, is the great Jim Matney.”
I didn’t have to provide any additional information. You couldn’t play football in the mountains and not know well the name, “Jim Matney.”
William said, “That short guy is Coach Matney?” I said, “Yessir, don’t judge a book by its cover.”
"That short guy is Coach Matney?"
Star area football player
"Yessir, don't judge a book by its cover."
Friday Night Fletch.
You see, Jim Matney was, actually, a giant; at least in every way which conceivably mattered. Had Matney walked up that day and been 12-feet tall and weighed over a thousand pounds, his physique still would have fallen well short of his reputation, his legend.
Legends, true legends, come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes their physical makeups impress the onlooker, which wasn’t the case with Coach Matney; and sometimes their fetes and accomplishments do most the talking.
Sometimes, what legends do, and not how thy look, is the larger part, the grander story and not the person’s physical, outward appearance. This was a valuable life lesson for my son to learn.
That guy who knew me without the benefit of formal introduction, who also knew my son (on reputation alone), was the true mountain legend. We should have recognized him, not have him recognizing us.
Matney was The Pride of Haggerhill. Matney was the one who could lay claim to being among the greatest high school coaches the Appalachia region had ever known, or ever would.
Matney was the legend, the icon. Who in the heck were we?
Apparently, we were a couple of nobodies Matney cared enough about to make feel important. That is a characteristic which takes a mighty big man to fully develop, no matter that man’s height nor lack.
That sounds like one fine life-lesson for all of us. Then again, what do I know?
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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